Reproduction (Biological)

News about Reproduction (Biological), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Nov. 18, 2014

Monarch butterflies, whose migratory numbers have fallen by an alarming 90 percent, hitting record low in 2013, seem to be rebounding in 2014; butterflies are still imperiled, however, and well-meaning efforts by butterfly enthusiasts to plant milkweeds may be making matters worse by encouraging non-seasonal breeding and thwarting migration. MORE

Oct. 28, 2014

Study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that bright colors that appear on wings of male fruit flies when held against dark background are characteristic that female fruit flies use in making mating decision. MORE

Aug. 19, 2014

Study in journal PLoS One reports that Pacific deep-sea octopus called Graneledone boreopacifica has been found to have an egg-brooding cycle of 53 months, the longest period that any animal is known to protect its eggs. MORE

Jun. 17, 2014

Male Mientien tree frogs in Taiwan are using storm drains to amplify their mating calls and attract females. MORE

May. 20, 2014

Dr Renate Matzke-Karasz study in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports discovery of world's oldest sperm in tiny shrimp called ostracods that lived at least 17 million years ago. MORE

Apr. 22, 2014

Study in journal Current Biology reports that all four known species of Brazilian cave insect Neotrogla have undergone sex reversal in which females have penises and males have vaginas. MORE

Mar. 25, 2014

Study in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B confirms that Azara's owl monkeys, primate species native to South America, are monogamous for mating season and that males care for offspring. MORE

Mar. 18, 2014

Study in journal Current Biology finds that chickadee mating grounds are moving further north at rate that matches warming trend in winter temperatures. MORE

Mar. 4, 2014

Devi Stuart-Fox and Jennifer Goode study in journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution finds that intensity of orange patches on female dragon lizards in Australia, developed when lizards are fertile, attract male lizards searching for mates. MORE

Feb. 25, 2014

Study in journal Current Biology finds that Mauritius kestrels have adapted to destruction of their forest habitats on island nation of Mauritius by having offspring earlier and dying younger. MORE

Jan. 21, 2014

Annette Van Oystaeyen study in journal Science reports that fertile queen bees prevent reproductive function of worker females by emitting chemicals known as pheromones that inhibit development of worker bees' ovaries. MORE

Jan. 7, 2014

Study in journal Science reports that female fish are quicker to mate with male they have seen before, in part due to neuron that becomes activated in presence of familiar male. MORE

Dec. 3, 2013

Study in journal Science finds that male roundworms secrete signaling molecules that significantly shorten life span of opposite sex; researchers suggest that elimination of mating partners after reproduction may preserve resources for offspring and drain mating pool for other males. MORE

Oct. 29, 2013

Researchers find that female nursery-web spiders are more likely to store sperm from male spiders who offer them gift of insect wrapped in silk, and their eggs are more likely to hatch.. MORE

Oct. 1, 2013

Study in journal The Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports on the complexity of mating patterns among fruit flies. MORE

Aug. 6, 2013

Studies show that primate fathers in monogamous relationships improve survival odds of their offspring by remaining nearby to protect and feed them and that such behavior in early primates may have paved way for growth of human brain; reasons why monogamy evolved remain open to debate. MORE

Jul. 30, 2013

Two teams of scientists end up with opposing conclusions in trying to solve puzzle of why some mammals choose monogamous pairings and others do not; studies appear in journals Science and Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. MORE

Jul. 9, 2013

Study in journal Current Biology suggests that first meal a newborn lizard eats can change its life, influencing whether it leaves its birthplace and how many offspring it will have; researchers suspect that other animals, including humans, may be similarly influenced by small events. MORE

Jul. 8, 2013

About one in six infertile men have azoospermia, or no viable sperm in their ejaculate, and these men may be at increased risk of testicular and other cancers. MORE

Jul. 6, 2013

Hastings-on-Hudson, in Westchester County, NY, hopes to become first suburb in United States to control its deer population through immunocontraception, which uses the animal's own immune system to prevent it from fertilizing offspring. MORE

Jun. 11, 2013

Study in journal Current Biology shows that male superb lyrebirds sing and dance at same time, part of mating ritual that includes four distinct songs with four unique dances to go with them. MORE

May. 23, 2013

Staten Island witnesses first of emergence of cicadas that have been maturing underground for 17 years; insects will continue to emerge in coming days to begin last, amorous stage of their life cycle, when millions will climb from ground to begin their famously noisy courtship. MORE

Apr. 23, 2013

Science Q&A and on whether birds have been known to mate with members of other bird species. MORE

Mar. 30, 2013

Op-Ed article by biology Prof David George Haskell debunks conservative argument that homosexuality violates basic laws of nature; points to diversity of reproductive methods among species native to Washington DC, where Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments concerning same-sex marriage. MORE

Jan. 1, 2013

Nov. 27, 2012

Researchers say instances of misdirected mating, in which member of one species tries to mate with member of another, are simple mistakes that are within spectrum of normal behavior. MORE

Aug. 25, 2012

Op-Ed article by Boise State professor Greg Hampikian argues that it is increasingly clear from a scientific standpoint that the human species is defined by the female gender and its maternal connection; contends that the 18th-century masculine bias in science is becoming harder to sustain, as men become less relevant to both reproduction and parenting. MORE

Jul. 24, 2012

Jul. 17, 2012

Ryan P Kovach study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports genetic evidence that some Alaskan salmon have evolved to migrate earlier, adapting to global warming and shifting stream temperatures. MORE

Jun. 19, 2012

Study in journal Biology Letters finds that males of tropical species of orb-web spider castrate themselves, either partly or fully, after mating; castration reduces spider's weight, allowing it to better fend off other males, reducing sperm competition and maximizing their reproductive success. MORE

May. 22, 2012

Study in Current Biology finds that when a flower's pollen tube comes into contact with female gametes, all other pollen tubes are repelled, allowing the precise mechanics of flower reproduction to occur. MORE

May. 15, 2012

Some children conceived with donated sperm are struggling with serious genetic conditions inherited from men they have never met; while sperm donors are no more likely to carry genetic diseases than others, they can father a far greater number of children; phenomenon carries the added risk of making such genes more pervasive in the general population. MORE

May. 14, 2012

Parents, who would-be-grandparents, are supporting daughters, emotionally and financially, as they turn to the fledgling field of egg freezing to improve their chances of having children later on, when they are ready to start a family; there currently is no single source of data on the number of women who are choosing to freeze their eggs, but doctors in the United States say the practice is slowly growing; procedure remains expensive and because it offers no guarantees, can seem to some like an extravagant gamble. MORE

May. 1, 2012

Klaas Welke study in journal Frontiers of Zoology reveals interesting patterns of male monogamy in one species of orb-web spiders. MORE

Mar. 20, 2012

Xavier Noblin study in journal Science details the catapult-like mechanism by which ferns release their spores. MORE

Mar. 9, 2012

Study by American and Chinese scientists published online in journal Science finds that Microraptor, a four-winged dinosaur, developed its distinctive colored feather pattern for mating purposes, rather than flight; study capitalizes on new technology that allows researchers to determine the coloration of feather fossils. MORE

Feb. 27, 2012

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say they have extracted stem cells from human ovaries and made them generate egg cells; the advance, if confirmed, might provide a new source of eggs for treating infertility, though scientists say it is far too early to tell if the work holds such promise; the new research, led by the biologist Jonathan L Tilly, is published online by journal Nature Medicine. MORE

Feb. 23, 2012

Study by Jennifer F Hughes and David C Page published in journal Nature finds that the male-determining Y chromosome has stopped shedding genes, process that had led many geneticists to fear that the male gender would one day cease to exist; Y chromosome has been reduced over time from 800 to 19 genes, but study suggests it has reached a plateau of 'miniaturized perfection,' still retaining the single gene that allows for maleness. MORE

Feb. 22, 2012

Volunteers like Tom and Debora Mann of Jackson, Miss, scoop up salamanders from the Natchez Trace Parkway and shepherd them safely to the other side, where ponds serve as mating grounds; road has designated salamander speed-reduction zones; only a few species of salamanders are legally declared endangered. MORE

Feb. 21, 2012

Carlos A Botero study in journal PloS One finds that infidelity is more common among mating pairs of birds during severe or uncertain weather. MORE

Jan. 15, 2012

Diane Ackerman Op-Ed article outlines the similarities between fruit flies and humans with respect to their mating habits. MORE

Nov. 15, 2011

Study conducted by Karen Strier and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin finds some male muriqui monkeys are more successful at reproduction than others, despite their well-known egalitarian social order and aversion to violence; study is published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MORE

Oct. 18, 2011

Entomologist Michael L May of Rutgers studies sex lives of dragonflies, who have dizzyingly complicated and varied reproductive organs. MORE

{"type":"article","show_header_text":true,"header":"ARTICLES ABOUT REPRODUCTION (BIOLOGICAL)","query":"(des=\"REPRODUCTION (BIOLOGICAL)\") and tom!=\"Caption\" and tom!=\"Correction\" and tom!=\"List\" and tom!=\"Paid Death Notice\" and dsk!=\"Society\"","search_query":"(subject:\"REPRODUCTION \\(BIOLOGICAL\\)\") AND -type_of_material:\"Caption\" AND -type_of_material:\"Correction\" AND -type_of_material:\"List\" AND -type_of_material:\"Paid Death Notice\" AND -news_desk:\"Society\"","num_search_articles":"10","show_summary":true,"show_byline":true,"show_pub_date":true,"hide_thumbnails":true,"show_kicker":false,"show_title":false,"show_related_topics":true,"show_rad_links":true,"show_subtopics":true,"exclude_topics":"REPRODUCTION (BIOLOGICAL)","more_on_header":"MORE ON REPRODUCTION (BIOLOGICAL) AND:","alternate_index_subidx":"","show_thumbnails":false}